Mac OS X 10.7 Lion will be publicly released in July – this fits in line with Apple’s expected ‘summer 2011’ release announcement

Mac OS X Lion will be be available exclusively as a download from the Mac App Store – this is perhaps the most controversial Mac OS X announcement, since many users were hoping for DVD’s and USB keys as well

Lion will cost $29.99 – “aggressively priced” as predicted, pretty cheap for an all new operating system

The keynote for Lion covered most of the features already known to beta testers through the Developer Previews, however Mac OS X Lion is said to include over 250 new enhancements and features. Based on my albeit brief exposure to Lion and the features that Apple has talked about, it’s well worth the $30 price tag and I will be upgrading without hesitation.

We’ll keep you posted as more useful news comes in.

Update: Mac OS X Lion Server will be $49.99 and available in July as a separate download/upgrade from the Mac App Store.

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Will you guys get over the fact that Lion is not on a disc. Is it not showing a great Corporate social responsibility strategy by Apple not using CD’s. In todays society we should be moving away from wasting resources, think about it, how many CD’s and packaging would there be globally? You should support the decision and stop being selfish.

@Dug: The complains have nothing to do with Apple’s environmental impact, but rather with access to the operating system. People like having a copy in case you need to do a reinstall or in case you want to build your own rig. you have always been able to buy a hard copy of Mac OS for tis kind of use. by distributing through the mac app store, this will no longer be the case. I’m not saying that they have to distribute using disks. heck for all I care they can simply download ISO’s directly to your hard drive (like Linux distros do). The thing is I would like to have access to the OS. This distribution method simply eliminates that and forces anyone who wants to use Mac OS to now have to buy a mac.

Until the hard disk crashes. Then you have to replace it first. Install using the CD’s that came with the Mac (which could date back to early OS X) and go from there. There are some valid reasons to have the media in hand. Macs still use third party OEM hard drives. Which do fail from time to time.

@isthmus, you are so off. seriously, spend some time getting up to speed on things before wasting your time and other peoples.

The nonsense you’re complaining about is a non-issue. I’m assuming you don’t/have never used a mac though. You can easily burn the OS to a disk. Unlike BS windows, you can even install to or from a USB disk with absolutely no problem.

How often has a Mac cratered and needed to have everything re-installed. Sounds to me like people are still stuck with the idea that their IBM/PC clones do not function as well as they should. I like the idea of not spending as much for packaging and keeping natural resouced in tact. If you have an Apple ID then your purchases are always yours.

@Dug: So… follow along for a moment. Hard drive fails, and it is replaced. On a clean drive out of the box with no OS, and of course no recovery partition, how exactly does one connect to the App Store, along with of course with saving the planet from a 34 cent piece of *recyclable* plastic?

Consider this – There is no modern Mac that will BOOT WITHOUT AN OS INSTALLED ON THE DRIVE.

You need SNOW LEOPARD to install Lion in the first place. So if you have leopard, you obviously need to go out and buy a CD for SNOW LEOPARD in order for it to be installed on the computer to get os x lion from the app store.

So therefore, you SHOULD have the snow leopard CD handy if all of this stuff does happen.

Your Mac came with a restore CD. I’ve broken and lost them before. Apple always sends a new one without question. The App Store download is for the Lion upgrade. So, you’ll have to reinstall Snow Leopard from your factory disk and then run the upgrade from the App Store again.

What about those of us that don’t have Snow Leopard? The Mac App Store will not run on Leopard. So the fact that there isn’t at least an ‘option’ results in me having to pay twice as much. $30 to upgrade to Snow Leopard to get the App store, and another $30 to get Lion.

Bottom line: It’s ridiculous that there isn’t at least an option for those of us without 10.6 or without internet (yes there are still people out there without internet).

$60 (to upgrade to Snow Leopard and then upgrade again to Lion) is still cheaper than the $129 that Apple’s charged for every previous release.

If you had Tiger and you wanted to upgrade to Snow Leopard, you’d technically need to either upgrade to Leopard first or buy the Mac Box Set for $129 to get the full (non-Leopard-upgrade) version of Snow Leopard. (The $29 Snow Leopard disc only upgrades from Leopard.)

The idea behind this was nothing more then a cost and piracy initiative. A way from them to combat the Hackintosh setups along with good PR for being “environmentally responsible” what ever that is anymore.

Um… last I remember the apps (including OS X Lion) you purchase through the app store are accessible to you at anytime incase something gets corrupted! That is why the App store, as does iTunes, keeps records of your purchases so you DON’T have to RE-Purchase. Geesh!!!

Ugh… for all of you complaining about the no disk to reinstall OS… Don’t you guys backup your harddrive? I don’t care if you’re running Snow Leopard, Leopard, Tiger, Linux, Windows, or Any other OS. You always backup your harddrive at least every 6 months. You backup after downloading, you’ll have it right there on your external harddrive, DVDs, etc. so this SHOULDNT BE A PROBLEM. Quit your bitching.

Your missing the point. It eliminates options. For example. I like doing “Clean installs” That means I copy all important files off my computer, format it, to a fresh install of the new OS. and copy back important files. This keeps the system running well. With this system (or in the event of having to restore), I have to install snow leopard from my original dvd. Install all the updates to get the app store. Download the app store. Download the large Lion app. Then go through ANOTHER install process to get Lion. And even after that there is a question as to how much of a “clean install” it really is. I can’t stand it when people ignore legit issues. It’s like when you go on a forum for someone asking, “Why can’t I password protect my mail app on my ipad for when I let someone borrow it” and someone answers “ipads are not ment to be lent out, they are personal devices” or “you can just add a lock screen, problem solved”. Um, no, problem not solved. The point is that it is reasonable to wish to lend someone your ipad, and still not have them going through your mail–something impossible to do with a stock ipad. Same situation here. It is reasonable to have a hard copy of the OS for emergency restore purposes, in addition to doing a clean install (to say nothing of how rediculous it is to have to install 2 systems just to get to lion). So how about you educate yourself to the practical issues (I can guarantee 99% of IT / developer / computer administrators are not in favor of this situation) before sounding like an idiot :)

You mean you can afford to buy and Apple computer, but not a good internet connection? If you are worried about the cost of your internet connection, why pay the money for a computer that has technology you won’t get to realize?

Be thankful it IS coming out on the Mac App store! The cost of producing the DVD(s) for distribution is higher than the cost of serving the same file(s) in the cloud. Apple can well afford to do the DVD route, but as a forward thinking company, it only makes sense to start moving away from the old physical media.

And if you need to re-install it for some reason, a record is kept of the purchase should you need it again.

Those of you who can’t or won’t be bothered to figure this stuff out really need to take a look at the big picture here! Admittedly, there will be some “growing pains”, but for pity’s sake… do some research before posing inane commentary.

For one, Lion creates a restore partition where you can access your files and repair permissions. Albeit if your HDD is seriously foobar that partition will not be accessible, in which case any nerd will tell you to break out linux for data recovery… even so, it will be a .dmg which can easily be converted to a bootable USB or DVD. Do the research.

That is just so ignorant. Dude right now I am in Nepal where internet is as slow as my granny and we don’t use Credit Card – Debit card as much. I do have an App Store account but the one where only free stuffs are downloadable. I wish I was back down under because of this decision Apple made. they didn’t think about any other country or people. There are so many who would want it on a Disc. It’s more relevant that way. I would say creating it on a Dvd would cost them $5 extra and I think anyone would be willing to buy it at that price.

One one hand it could be great for some and just a poor decision to others. Well I think i am stuck with 10.6 for a long while now..

Go to somewhere else that provides free wifi. Thats a no-brainer. I think that Apple is pretty smart to have it done through internet so no one could copy it and give to their friends. It would be illegal, so to avoid that, they decided to get it done thru App store. I don’t think there is any wrong with that.
For your problem, You need to realize that it is 21th century. So you need to upgrade your brain version, then you would be able to figure what needed to be done to get what you want to do with Apple stuff. Apple is pretty well-kept updated with technology, and not as screwed-up like Windows do.

So have you solved the world peace issue, or maybe you can tell us where to buy gas for 90 cents a gallon? High Speed internet is not a guaranteed service everywhere. For that matter no service is. It’s pretty lame to be so infatuated with a company like Apple that you cannot realize that every decision they make is not perfect for everyone.

Really $5!!!? for the manufacture and printing of the disk and packaging. Staffing costs for manufacturing and distribution costs. Development of packaging, shipping to thousands of destinations worldwide! i think you have not had too much experience in the manufacturing sector!!! And yes it may be inconvenient for people in some countries but it is also affordable for those same countries (often classed as developing nations) who would not be able to afford the traditional $129 sales tag for the DVD versions!

Im dying laughing..at you, who claim excessive insight into manufacture & distribution costs etc. etc. et cet terr ra.. etc. are implying it costs a 100 $ more for them to give a DVD version? I dont think yo have ever had a job, leave alone one in the areas you criticise some other bloke , who is actually making a point..unlike you,,
I am a multi mac user including iphones ipad2’s etc etc… and own several industries…so dont lecture to me about the above ok. A lot of users will have problems of download, not just developing nations( that was a very racist comment and it offends me, cos we are wealthy and happy in our developing status unlike you on the dole)…but even those in U.k. etc will face similar download problems…grow up Chris and get a …real Job.

Dude! get it through your head! we want a physical copy for immediate use!

Not update through 2 OSs to get Lion, and I don’t care that apple remembers I paid for it… I remember, and I want a physical copy I can use to boot the OS and perform diagnostics, as well as a clean install! period!

And how they suppose should I recover a system in case of some trouble? If I want to repartition my hard drive, I want to wipe it, or whatever I want to do with my hard drive? This policy is stupid. Very stupid.

Anyone with a Mac should have the common sense to use TimeMachine backups…this makes it incredibly simple to restore your computer or any component thereof with absolutely no hassle. And partitioning hard drives is always an available option with the Disk Utility. You don’t have to wipe the whole machine to do so. Sounds like you’ve been spending too much time with windows-based POS’s.

Why are you guys so worried? It goes in your purchases for your account remember? So you buy it one time and you can install on all your macs through the app store. If you wipe your drive, you can install snow leopard and then lion through the app store. I agree we should have a disc, but it isn’t the end of the world.

I know that the new models coming out soon will not be ‘user accessable’. You will have to take them to an AASP for service. So the hard drive you buy will already have the recovery partition if you get it from Apple.

And for those of you out there who think its cool to take a can opener to open a MacBook case cause you don’t have the right tools, SHAME! You don’t deserve to own such a beautiful piece of machinery.

it looks like you never worked in a large enough school:
Using USB I will spend 2-3 weeks upgrading my macs one by one. Yes I could use xServe to capture and deploy an image but wait xServe is discontinued…bu there are mac minis!… ohh wait they drop connection under a heavy load like this one…

One more to you: a school usually purchases a site wide license and does not use an app-store to do so. Example: 225$CAN for an unlimited number of installs of iLife. So how that compares to a Lion prices???

I’m confused. OS 10.6 has a disc but that is a non-issue. Lion has no disc but can be installed via USB, now that is an issue because they don’t have a disc or is it the fact that xServe has been discontinued?

Let’s see here, if one USB takes 3 weeks to upgrade the number of computers you have in your school, 7 USBs will cut down the time to 1 week; 21 USBs will take care of it in one day. Maybe there is a math instructor there with a better breakdown.

If it’s the same as the developer releases then when you buy Lion from the app store you download the complete OSX not an automated install so you can stick it on an external drive and reinstall it when you like.

Looks like a lot of worry over nothing by some and it certainly won’t backfire on Apple!

If the world is ending so soon why are you worrying “mr. 2011″ about such a trivial matter as a ‘download”.
Yes how terrible these backwater country governments are….cant provide their people downloads of 4gb…tch tch..’if they dont have bread to eat..give them cakes’…you sound exactly like the lady who said that….and ha ha..she lost her head…chop chop….but you didnt go to school i see…you of superior desti Nation…so how would you know…racist from waterfront country?

Apple has already offered all it customers use of the broadband wireless in their stores for customers with broadband restrictions. Considering the number of stores in the UK that should not be a problem for most.

I have an idea, start download, then go out and have coffee with a friend; heck have dinner, play a game, live life. If this is done right, chances are your download has completed before you even realize it. Get real my friend, you have been using 10.6 and it has been ok until they announced the upgrade. Now it appears you have to have the latest and even with it still unavailable, you are stressing over the fact that your internet is slow and shame on Apple for not considering putting this on a disc.

If you need it so bad, just wait for the download to finish. Yes, it really is that simple.

What if my friend or I am having connection issue. Most of the time my connection is UNSTABLE. I won’t be able to download it off Mac App Store because my connection keeps on dropping from time to time.

Depends on where you live, but most likely there is a free wi-fi hotspot somewhere locally. I don’t know about you, but I would do what it takes to get Lion. Sorry for those of you that don’t have that convenience.

Why are people being so “anal” about not being able to recover. I think this is a fantastic idea! Yes, Apple could have made DVD’s for our accessibility, but in reality you need to look at the fact that making DVD’s DOES cost money! Therefore, making everyone needing to pay more money for a disc. I think people need to be a little more high tech to use a MAC, and if it bothers you that much, switch to Windows, but eventually I see it being the same way for Microsoft in the future. The ones that should be complaining should be all of the Windows users who have to pay ridiculous prices for their mediocre software. Think of this as a blessing to MAC users. You can’t beat better prices than this! A brand new operating system with over 250 new features, stop whining and enjoy the new system when it becomes available!!!!

Exactly. Our university IT department blocks the App Store. My state university system will not reimburse faculty for App Store purchases. I will likely pay for the Lion upgrade for my personal laptop. I will not buy the upgrade for the state’s two computers I use at the office. Dumb move Apple! I do like the buy once, use on all personal machines policy.

Seriously all you max fam boys are idiots. A f****** DVD costs around 50 cents, this is the reason you see why games are not back on flash memory chips. With all the costs of shipping the extra price put on top is about 5 dollars, if I’m correct I believe SL detailed in UK for £30, lion is £20, id be happy to pay an extra 10 for a physical disc.

Also Apple screwed over leopard users who did not see any point in upgrading to SL, you don’t see that with windows or Linux.

I live in the UK I can download 4GB no problem but everyone else I know is still getting speeds under 8Mb, where as I have more than 10 times their speed, 50Mb.

to upgrade to Windows 7 (in Australia at least), an upgrade which can be installed on one machine, costs about $200.00, so I kinda figure $60 to upgrade from Leopard to Lion, for multiple machines isn’t too bad. Also, one of the main points of the Lion upgrade is its internet functionality, the iCloud in particular, so if you dont have a decent internet connection and download limit theres not really a much point in upgrading your system anyway.http://www.microsoftstore.com.au/shop/en-AU/Microsoft/Windows-7-Home-Premium-Upgrade

Stop whining about windows users. Im a mac user but i don’t go putting down people because they use windows or are from ‘developing countries ‘ where ..and get real.. the internet is slow slow slow ..as in the U.K. too. Also its not about the cost of a disk being the reason apple isn’t giving one and if you believe so you really are a ‘dim wit’. You talk like someone who recycles his toilet paper, gets his hands messy and wipes his face with same messy hands.This is the stupidist thing apples has done ..ever! and it is going to cause problems for lots of users, thanks to line dropping etc.,You sound like a typical egoistical nerd especially when you say…”think people need to be a little more high tech to use a MAC,” ..oh doesnt your mom use windows…I know she does.

p.s. I am the biggest apple fan boy around. this is too much. As a computer network engineer, I affirm that society cannot and should not RELY this heavily on the internet. I now am OFFICIALLY required by the very head of the technologic revolution to subscribe to high speed internet (soon to be capped and tiered) in order to own a usable computer, and to purchase high cost, low quality phone and data service to own a smart phone. bullsh.

You don’t need Lion. Snow Leopard is still usable. You don’t need a smart phone. Dumb phones still make calls and texts. These improvements in technology are all conveniences that make our daily lives easier. I’ll sacrifice and pay higher costs for the benefits that the internet provides. I can’t imagine life without the internet anymore. But if you’re not willing to pay higher costs, you can still enjoy a great life with a dumb phone and just watch basic television instead of surfing the net and youtube. lol

And by the way, I’m pretty sure farmers back in the day complained and whined that they did not want to buy a tractor because then they’d have to pay higher costs for fuel and maintenance. That they should not have to rely on oil companies to continue their business. The fact of the matter is, times are changing. Either keep up with the times, or keep farming with your horses like I’m sure some stubborn farmers did.

Only 3 month, Ok then! To answer some of the other critics, I don’t think anyone is being anal, just want the option to buy a disc with the software on at a mac store. (I don’t mind paying a higher price for this – lets remember that a 4GB download is not free – you pay for this service) The download option is good if you have a high speed connection and the right payment plan. DVD’s do cost money, and it will be more efficient and easier for Apple to offer download only but that isn’t the point – it is NOT necessarily the easiest option for all of their customers It should be about what is easier and best for the customer!

The upgrade route is really not that different when software first came on audio tape, then 8″ disk followed by 3″ disk then CD then DVD. It did force users to upgrade over time and I guess this is just another step in a continuous process of change. Perhaps a big step in that there is now no physical ‘thing’ but in all cases over time it all does work. The biggest issue to overcome with this is our own reluctance to change.

Yeah unless theres a disk you’ll need to upgrade to Snow like I did, but really think about it: 10.6.3 upgrade disk = $30 + the upgrade to 10.7 is another $30 which in totally is roughly $60. In comparison a windows OS upgrade would bleed you 100+ for just the ONE OS and it takes more time to install… Its not that bad at all really.

For the record I’ve always been a PC guy, I’m using a slightly older macbook pro now because my dad would rather use my PC for work and I have a passion for triple boot =D

You may be in need of either torrenting the sucker at a slow speed and burning it to a disk, or find a friend who has the iso downloaded and do a firewire transfer or something similar to copy it to your computer.

Are you all kidding me, “DVD’s cost more money”. Um hello it only costs a few cents per disc to make. Remember Snow Leopard was the same price on an 8 gig disc. I repair Apple computers and sometimes I need to just do a reinstall as part of the repair. I’m sure there will be a disc or other media available. I don’t even use discs anymore, muti-partitioned firewire drive with all OSes on it. The download will probably allow you to burn to disc or image to a drive. In either case for those that have GSX access will probably have access to a solution. Which I’m sure will hit the the internet promptly after release. All this is going to cause, Apple, is more piracy and hacking of your software despite the low cost. Good job guys you just pissed off alot of people that make you tons money.

“buddilla says:ll this is going to cause, Apple, is more piracy and hacking of your software despite the low cost. Good job guys you just pissed off alot of people that make you tons money.”

No its not, If Anything it will slow it, Now Since allot of you don’t Know why I will Answer it for you and All the Other Developers will back me up on this so listen and Read Closely.

Ever Download will have an “IMPRINT” on the App Users Name and Email, This is a New feature that ALL apps have, So Get upset that you could be Sued by Apple if you share it with the Mass users as a pirated option on the internet.

And those of you Cheap idiots that want to pirate, it will Serves you right when you get caught, Apple is More aggressive now and may turn some heads with this release in controlling this. And remember, Just like iTunes Movies and Music the Purchasers name will be Linked to that download and your account.

The whole reason to push Online Downloads is to control you software and make it more difficult for those that what to steal your Billions of R&D.

Its full that Hacintosh & Pirates are the Most Upset about this.

If you don’t have a fast connection and or the bandwidth and thats your only Gripe, Go to your local Library and download it off their connection, Allot of people do this and its free with your own machine and a small amount of time since most are cable or fiber connection’s.

No more excesses for progress in technology, Look at history on how the Automobile was not excepted and those who fought that progress tooth and nail with obscure laws and gnashing of teeth.

“If you don’t have a fast connection and or the bandwidth and thats your only Gripe, Go to your local Library and download it off their connection, Allot of people do this and its free with your own machine and a small amount of time since most are cable or fiber connection’s.” Interesting assumption! I see you have been to many libraries around the world!… funny!

As for imprints, how about schools, universities that usually have unlimited license? They will also individually imprint them? How about capturing an entire hard drive and doing a mass deploy through xServe(for those of us who still have it)? I see definitely more options than you do….

If you think that Apple will do a stupid thing by not releasing DVDs and flash cards with MacOSX, you are deeply mistaken.
1) Apple for the Green World
2) Cloud technology is not a myth, what prevents restore the OS from the cloud (network load has not been canceled)
3) Yes there is a section on the hard drive, in addition to already very paranoid: Copy the image:)

Already posted this somewhere above but considering that a windows upgrade for ONE OS is actually $40 or more than what you’re paying for two I wouldn’t complain. I’m in the same boat and its actually not that bad….

[…] Mac OS X Lion includes an interesting ability to boot directly into the Safari web browser. Access to this feature is currently limited to those with Lion DP4 and the iCloud beta software installed, in addition to having the “Find My Mac” function enabled, but it is expected to be available to all users by the time Lion ships in July. […]

If Apple kept the Operating Systems on CD’s it would be easier to hack their precious new operating systems so basicaly no hackintosh for PC users except for the Beta so NO HACKS ANY MORE!

I’m a mac user which last month I was a PC user and i’ve tried to install hackintosh and failed most of the time so I got a mac so I don’t really care about that anymore so PC users you can only use the Beta of Lion, OSX Tiger, OSX Leopard and OSX Snow leopard!

since when does OS X have to be on a CD/DVD to install it on a PC? and furthermore, OS X Lion will be burnable to DVDs…. so, what were you saying again? i have a snow leopard hackintosh (that i dont use much) and i definitely wouldnt pay for that OS i’m perfectly happy with Windows 7 and Linux.

1. I am happily running Lion DP4 on my homebuilt PC. You just have to clone the Basesystem.dmg file to a partition and copy a patched installer over. It works a treat.

2. It irritates me to hear people talking of Macs & PC’s. There was a technical argument to this when Apple were still using the PowerPC platform, however now a Mac is an Apple branded IBM compatible PC which could just as well be running Windoze or Linux.

I do find it a little bit silly not having a disc, hopefully there will be the option to create a bootable CD, or USB key. As people have said, what if you have had a hard disk failure and have installed a new blank hard disk. To expect users to install Snow Leopard, then wait for the 10.6.7 update to download, then wait again to download Lion if your installation files were hosed because of the disk failure is unreasonable. A half hour job turns into a 4 hour job (some of us are forced to use BT Internet).

hi there oh noo my imac is too old and wont run higher then mac ox snow soo i dont get the app store soo a cd or replace the computer with a newer model oh yes the 750 gb hard drive uses 3 times more energy then th solid state flash storage soo i would end up being greener with a 256 gb ssd over a 750 gb hdd

As I recall, Last time apple Had a brilliant idea to upgrade & activate their products online (iPhone 1) It took me hours to be able to activate my phone.. SERVER OVERLOAD. I foresee this happening again with Lion. I just want an OS DVD.. Make it optional..

I think Apple should device a mechanism so that people can go to the Apple store and get the software updated. Would help all those people who dont have an 8mbps connection with 1 gazillion gb of bandwidth.
America is not the world you know.

Okay..I’ve never seen such upheaval from the Mac community. What ever happened to ‘Think Different’? What ever happened to embracing change? There is a whole lot of panic over nothing.

As someone who sells and repairs Mac’s on a daily basis, i know I haven’t thrown my arms up and started screaming. Do any of you know about the MacBook Air? It doesn’t even have an optical drive. And its quite capable of Netbooting through Airport and installing the OS through the USB flash drive it comes with. So what makes it different when they go the same way with the rest of the line?

The world is moving into the clouds. So embrace the change. It happens every so often. I would bet your bottom dollar that the OS will come on new Mac’s on the same USB stick they give you with an Air.

As far as leaving other’s behind, you have to move forward. At some point the technology leaps forward and you either go with it or stagnate in the past. So if your machine won’t run Snow Leopard, upgrade if you can. Otherwise, continue to use the system that you’ve always used. It still works great. You don’t need to adopt the ‘well why did you ditch us’ attitude. Be happy with what you have till you can afford newer.

“why did you ditch us” DOES hold true for quite a few things mac. the latest xcode releases wont even run on SNOW LEOPARD which is only what, THREE years old or so? they dont even LET YOU download the last one that will work on snow leopard from apple.com!

they should take a clue from microsoft who finally came out with an IE (not that i like IE) that wont run on their 10 year old OS windows XP within the last 6 months or whenever it was. and guess what you can still download a version that WILL work on XP and even one for windows 2000! now that is support!

apple just doesnt give a f*** if you havent shelled out for their latest offering.

[…] Preview”, meaning things we see now may not be finished and may ship differently in the final release next month. The way that Lion is currently handling full screen apps and external displays (as of DP4 build […]

althought i do have an actual 17 mbps connection and my download rate is 1,50 mb /second i do find silly the fact that apple decided not to launch a Lion upgrade DVD in the stores for many reasons as you all commented above.The thing is that its not the same thing spending 30 euros in my credit card like paying cash cause i don’t like the fact that afterwards my card is full of purchases and this makes me spend more money.i am not sure wether iam upgrading to lion maybe i ll do it later cause iam afraid that i wont be as smooth as its SL in a mac white unibody 2009.whats your opinion guys?

just another statement, what happens if you like me and your internet is dial up? and on top of that it drops out every 10 minutes, i am actually going to a relatives house who also has a mac to use their t1 internet to download it, because i imagine that the file size would be huge, does anyone have any ideas on exactly how big?

guys , i agree with the downloading part( against piracy and saving the environment and all) but what happens if your in a country when app store is not available …..i can’t order the cd from any other site or ask a friend from abroad to ship it …………..

Apple has decided to loose millions of dollars in possible sales.
I personally know of close to a hundred people that have only a Mac book and there Internet is thru either a rocket stick or a 3G hotspot, at $35 for 1 gb of bandwidth, and lion being around 10gb download it would cost them $350 to download lion, plus the $30 for lion, whom can afford that?

come live in australia and try to afford internet off a wireless usb modem. $25-35ish for 1gb is about correct. so shutup markus you dick. and jasin stfu he means apple will lose money because people will not buy the product.

It’s not that I don’t like MacOS, nor that I don’t own a mac. My problem is that I have lost my original install disk, and recently I had to change my HD due SMART status check failing. How am I supposed to restore the OS this way?

:I had a flash drive in which I had a copy of the installation DVD, so I booted from there, but I don’t think this is a thing all the users do…

For those of you complaining about how difficult it will be to reinstall the OS, buy windows. It’s almost mandatory. I’ve had my MacBook Pro for 4 years now and NEVER had to reinstall the OS. However, I would like a backup disk for peace of mind.

For a user on a low capped service, it could end up being more than $30 for the uppgrade.
Not everyone is privileged like the snarky commenters here, with T1s and Apple stores in their city.
Maybe their Mac was a gift, and they can’t afford more than dialup, or cheapass lite cable internet.
Libraries and cafes with shared 1Mb wifi will so NOT be a solution.

Yes, the App Store option will take care of most. All we want is the OPTION to get a hard copy without driving 6+ hours and DL’ing it first,

for al the idiots who are worried about your macs crashing and having to repay the $29 (even $58 is ridiculously cheap) the mac app store remembers what you have purchased and does not require you to pay to download it again..

Thats not the problem. The problem is how do you install it onto blank disk? Like I said, if you swap out an hdd for an ssd you are stuck.

I just bought an 128GB m4 micron ssd. If my Mbp 2011 did not come with a disc I would be screwed. And yes, I know some will say clone the drive but thats a bad idea with ssd. That causes stability issues.

By not using DVDs Apple COULD personalize every downloaded copy. For example they may imprint iTunes id used to download and use it to restrict installation. In fact with it possibility are endless, I mean for Apple ;)

I applaud apple for not waisting resources on CD’s and pushing it through their store. As a newer apple user I am happy to see more green options for the consumer. Go apple go! I love my macbook pro and will never go back to windows ever again.

I agree a greener option is good, but NOT having a CD version means your not giving an option. What about people that don’t have the internet bandwidth to download it? Or anyone that has data caps on their internet currently for that matter, especially people who solely use 3g hotspots or usb adapters.

I think we are all missing a very good point here and that is this new Lion os will only cost 29.99. Have any of you looked what Microsoft is charging for just an upgrade? Microsoft also charges more for the server version and Lion has the server version in for just $29.99.
I like the idea that we can download the OS and not fool with CD’s or DVD’s but I’m assuming that there will be the ability to do a backup of the OS once installed.
My only gripe about this process is all the guessing about the release date. Apple has not set a particular date other than its suppose to be released this month (July). I wonder when Microsoft releases Windows 8 early next year if they will have the usual 4 or 5 OS’s and a price tag of $100.00+.
I just started using Mac over a year ago and I’ve been able to do everything on the Mac that I did on the PC and in many cases the programs were cheaper and functioned better.

So funny reading these comments! I am a recent Mac convert and I have to say, a $30 upgrade is awesome! I think I paid $200 or more for a win7 upgrade. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I get both of my Macs upgrade for the $30.

I have no doubt that Apple will address the needs of IT. Apple reserves the right to change its mind anytime, and if it makes sense and money they probably will. IT won’t need it right away anyhow. They have to go through a testing process and it usually takes time and isn’t a priority for most organizations.

I saw some posts about Education. Not sure why employees of a school think they should be upgrading their PC OS. Of course the app store is locked down! Strange to think it wouldn’t be. Don’t worry! Apple will give your school a solution in time.

If your Mac is too old, buy a new one or leave it where it is at. My 1st gen ipod touch won’t run the latest IOS… but I understand and can deal with it.

Agreed. I may not be a Mac user (or even a fair-weather fan of Apple), but I find it idiotic that even the most plagued OS (Windows) and the two open source OS’s (BSD and Linux) can include the most simple feature: an install disk and/or liveCD. This really is a loss for the IT managers and power users, who are people I can respect regardless of the OS they use and manage. Apple better be careful or they will lose the business of companies (business they historically haven’t done well with anyway) that don’t want the complicated nature of a web upgrade (Linux has web upgrades, and those tend to not go so well). This is a bad idea on so many levels and Apple should be given Hell because of it (as in complaints and bad press, no hacking or violence necessary so don’t take it that way).

It seems absolutely ridiculous that we have to be forced to download products like OS X as an example. Take as an example, those of us who have poor broadband speeds. We would have to leave our macs on for about 2 days to download depending on the amount of users downloading.

on another note. There are some of us such as myself who pay in cash. Why… Well I am totally blind and rely on the feel of cash rather than a credit / debit card which to be honest does scare the heck out of me. I prefer to walk into my local apple store and pay for my products there and then, walk out and then come to work / home and install the software. knowing that I have the CD’s / DVD’s in question safely to hand and also braille marked.

OK there is a sensical basis for download only but here’s a little trick people are forgetting.

What if as an example, you save your downloaded Lion installer to a pen drive or to your HDD and for some reason that data has accidentally been deleted or the HDD fails completely, you have lost your download and consequently lost the money’s worth. You are at the mercy of a website and an online purchasing issue.

An example is this. Voiceover is a very powerful screen reader to support blind and visually impaired users as well as deaf blind users. However… Apple can’t even make certain products OF THEIR OWN accessible. Apple Logic Studio is a prime example. No voiceover support at all. Then there’s iWork, still with glitches, etc. Say no more.

Some of you make no sense at all with the whole: “Time Machine and the double upgrade path will be sufficient” plan. Time to wake up: Time Machine requires that your hard drive remain functioning (worst case scenario: your external or your Time Capsule fails before your computer, and your computer fails before you can replace the backup drive), and that you have Mac OS installed at the time. New purchases, if they don’t come with a disk, will be stuck in that sort of situation. Leopard users will now have to pay $60 instead of $30 because Apple wanted to save money, make money, and squash hackintoshing (a monopolistic practice, by the way). Ultimately, it screws the users over when it comes time to do a fresh install or a recovery; ’cause face it, with MacDefender, the Mac’s days of invulnerability are over and at some point people will need to reinstall. Whilst you all are having trouble with Apple’s idiotic move, I’ll sit here and laugh as a Linux and Windows user who can use install disks and still keep them for repair. Mac may “Just work”, but when it stops working, you guys are screwed and you have [Cr]Apple to blame. [/ Linux/Windows user troll]

2 things, first google “Luddites”, then understand that Lion is going to be distributed via the Apple ‘cloud’ centres which are as yet unused. They have huge capacity for both uploading and downloading data to Apple customers. Lion is the key to cloud based computing in the new facilities. They are somewhat bigger and more robust than a rack of WD 1 Terabyte drives daisychained in a Cupertino basement.

How is this even a discussion?! Releasing Lion on the App Store is a fantastic move. For a start, it makes the operating system a LOT cheaper than its predecessors because there’s no physical media. £21 to get Lion?! Brilliant! That matters to me. If you don’t have the Internet (and that accounts for less than 3% of all Mac users, by the way), you can take your Mac into an Apple Store and get it upgraded there. If you want a physical copy of it, you can burn the ISO to disc after downloading from the App Store. As for going on about “building your own rigs” – OS X should not be run on non-Apple hardware and all Apple computers come with a copy of OS X so this is a non-issue. The only problem I can see is for people who don’t make a physical backup of the OS after they’ve downloaded it and then suffer a hard drive failure. Hard drive failures in Macs are, anyway, incredibly rare and as the world is now transitioning to solid state, which is even more reliable, I see this as a bit of a non-issue too. I really hope Microsoft does something similar for Windows 8 but, unfortunately, they don’t have the same framework in place for a distribution method like that.

Alright, @Ben Watson, I’m sorry, but if you have ever researched ssd’s, you would know that while they theoretically Should last for thousands of hours, the truth is that a very good deal of them fail – Far more than standard HDD’s. It will also be a Years before they are price comparable to an HDD for storage, and OS X, as far as I know, still has no trim support, meaning that SSD will slow down and die sooner.

I really don’t understand, also, why anyone at all would argue that this is a Good idea. There’s absolutely no reason why they couldn’t offer it both ways, saving a few cents per disc they don’t have to print or ship by offering it in the app store, which is nice, but also offering on a dvd. They’re pissing off Best Buy, anyone not in America, anyone in the country in America, anyone tethering a phone data connection, IT, schools, power users…. It just goes on and on how many people this upsets. And, again, every computer user who knows what they’re talking about and who really uses their machine for say, more than the internet and iPhoto, knows that a clean install is always a safer, better, more reliable way to go. Technology has come far, and programming is catching up, but it hasn’t come that far.

And why do I see the same comments repeated, over and over, inanely making the same worthless points? Cost? Really dumb point at volumes as high as apple attains. And the server costs and IT are not free, either. I’m from a populated midwest city, and would still have to drive over an Hour to get to a Apple store. Not an option. This has all been stated… Why didn’t the argument end there ( I say as I make a comment).

And, while I own 2 Macs, I also run a Hackintosh – which has been running happily, stabile, and faster than my real Macs for over a year. And it’s not illegal – there’s no way they can tell me I can’t buy there os and put it on whatever hardware I want – if anyone knew what an EULA was or meant, they would know it means that I don’t agree with it, and therefore forego Apple’s support – That’s it. I can’t sell the machine, but I can legally do it for myself, no problem. And this infuriates me, because now I’m gonna have to wait two or three more days to pirate a hacked copy, or hack one myself, purely out of principle, because they’re just pissing me off more and more. I hate Monopolies, and even though Jobs protested and whined about Gates having one in court because he only bundled internet explorer with windows, and even though he started out as a hacker, he apparently has completely changed his mind and foregone the things that used to make Apple a little cooler.

@Collin. Wrong, my friend. The EULA doesn’t just state that if you don’t agree, you’re foregoing Apple’s support. It actually says it is illegal to run the software on non-Apple hardware. I also run a Hackintosh but don’t try and pretend that it’s a right you have or that, some how, it is allowed because it most certainly isn’t so I give that argument no weight whatsoever. You are not legally allowed to do it for yourself either. I also hate the argument on monopolies. No one is forcing you to run a Mac and ‘buy in’ to Jobs’ monopoly (which he doesn’t have, by the way). You’re entitled to run all number of ‘free’ operating systems from any number of Linux flavours. You can also buy and run Windows on whatever hardware you see fit. If you do wish to run Apple software, however, they do stipulate you run it on their hardware which I think is entirely fair. No one’s forcing you to.

Which gets to the crux of the point really. IF you knew your computers, as you keep stating, you’d know that EXT4 is nothing like NTFS and the Unix system is not, in any way, like the Windows platform. There is really no advantage to a ‘clean’ install of OS X, as long as you haven’t hosed your current install. The system simply isn’t designed like that. That’s a Windows and NTFS problem.

You seem to hate the lack of physical media from a standpoint of wanting the flexibility to run it on whatever you see fit. That’s not, and has never been, how Apple software works. If you don’t like it, run something else.

I like Porsches. I cannot afford to buy one. But that doesn’t mean I’m legally entitled to steal one because of the ‘monopoly’ they have on expensive sports cars. No, instead I drive a BMW.

@Ben. I can see your point. I just think it is easier to have the media in case the hard drive fails in my iMac. I could just replace the hard drive, put the OS disk in and have the machine up and running in a short time. It seems like we should have that option.

It is especially true for those of us who actually started out in the Intel world. That is how it’s always been done and we are comfortable do it that way.

I just think we should still have that option if we want to go that route.

I do agree, however, there is the question of volume deployment. I wait to see how that’ll work.

It’s quite a simple system for people with actual Mac hardware, though. They either buy a new Mac, in which case they WILL get a Lion disc and Lion preinstalled. Or they have a current Mac, which will have come with a copy of OS X, and they can upgrade from the App Store. And it’s a good 50% cheaper than previous releases.

[…] yet? Us too, but as we enter into the second half of July we’re running short on time for OS X Lion to be released this month as expected. The good news is that when Apple sets a date, they almost always meet it […]

I don’t mean to take any sides here…
I know that Apple has it’s reasons why the only want to distribute LION over the app store. As mentioned before… it’s more friendly to the environment and there is no doubt about that… maybe it is because the can make more money considering the fact that one needs snow leopard in order to upgrade.

I think I went through the whole thread here… and no where… (i might have missed it) did I find my problem. Ok, it sucks that we can’t get LION on CD or DVD. I can live with that.
I’m a student… I study in Germany and like other students world wide… we are lucky if we can buy a mac… I got mine the moment the new 13” mac book was out on the market. I really want to upgrade to LION, and I don’t have snow leopard. Don’t really want to buy it considering LION has been released. And now my problem… fellow students will understand… we don’t have a lot of money… and not everybody has a scholarship or parents with a lot of money. We simply can not afford to buy 2 operating systems.

My suggestion would be to offer a download directly from the apple web site and charge via credit card, pay pal or something like that. That way apple can stay environment friendly and others don’t need to buy 2 operating systems.

Has anybody ever considered this method to be an option to please everyone?